Another year past and time to set some goals for the coming 12 months. Most people call them New Year Resolutions, words that for the most part are synonyms for worthless promises stated then forgotten about as quickly as yesterday’s lunch. So I call them goals, more professional and lasting words that if put in writing and posted under a magnet on the fridge will be somewhat more likely to have meaning.
Goal #1
My first goal is the first every year and that is to drop a few pounds. But I mean it this time. And just to prove it I’m planning on starting soon, maybe —Jan 1. If not, certainly by Feb. 1.
I’ve done pretty well the past two or three years, maintaining a fair weight just 30 or 40 pounds over the recommended weight for my age and height.
I’m convinced that I could eat absolutely nothing for three months and still weigh the same or maybe a pound more. Mom used to say that it was a gland thing but I know the only thing glandular about it is my eye gland. If I see it and it doesn’t move, I eat it. So I’m counting on the note posted on the refrigerator door note to at least slow down the tendency to look inside.
Goal #2
My second goal is to learn to catch bass. I’ve spent most of my life chasing walleyes, crappies and other pan fish but we’ve recently purchased property on a lake which features excellent bass fishing.
That means I can sit on the porch and watch others toss lures or I can join them. And I’ll do just that just as soon as winter melts away. I know that spinner baits, crank baits, and squiggly soft baits are popular lures for bass fishing but it will take quite a while for me to figure out when to use them. But this goal is to learn how, when, and where to catch Ohio bass and I’m willing to work hard to achieve it.
Maybe I should pay more attention to the TV fishing shows but they are so boring and so the same that I seldom dial them in. I have a real hard time following the script on most of the show, possibly because I tend to start counting how many times the host says “that’s a good one” in each segment, a dialog that is designed to keep a viewer’s interest during the short pauses between endorsements and commercials.
Goal #3
Goal three is to shoot more. It is so easy to find things to do that I too often put off an hour or two at the range just to do something like mow, paint, or produce actual required work. That’s got to stop. Muzzle loader season is here and I haven’t shot my muzzle loader since missing a couple deer last January.
What’s up with that? Before you start whining about my carelessness, I can report that I did clean the gun and store it properly so back off.
But this goal covers more than burning black powder. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that I need to shoot more, especially when it comes to safely handing handguns and accurately shooting rifles. Shooting even a modern pellet rifle teaches and re-enforces good shooting form and habits.
Sure, I’ve got more goals for the next few months but they aren’t as important as the first three, at least for someone who likes being out more than in.
Archery instruction
Archery instructors and team leaders can attend a free training workshop to be held Jan. 29 at Western Reserve High School located in Berlin Center, Mahoning County.
The training program is an all-day affair and will include certification as a National Archery in Schools Program (NASP) instructor. NASP instructors can teach archery in schools systems that adopt the program.
During the 2011-12 school year more than 40,000 Ohio students participated in NASP as part of their physical education curriculum. Many of those students were able to also participate in after school archery programs and teams.
Contact. Call Ken Fry of the Ohio Division of Wildlife at 330-245-3030 for information and registration. Physical education teachers should contact their Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC) about the NASP training.
